sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Innovations and Trends on Higher Education and Sustainable Development in the Field of Health Sciences

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 26264

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical-Surgical Therapy, Medicine Faculty, Extremadura University, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
Interests: motivation; health promotion; innovation; emerging technologies; medical education; transversal competences; ethics and sustainability in higher education

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Pathology and Surgery, Physiotherapy Area, Miguel Hernandez University, 03550 Alicante, Spain.
Interests: health promotion; injury prevention; teaching innovation; competences assessment; social responsibility; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, proposed by the United Nations in 2015, establishes 17 goals and 169 targets that challenge countries to act in a global alliance towards a better future. According to recent scientific studies, the challenges posed in the context of higher education on the Sustainable Development Goals are partially driven [1]. It would be naive to think that the existence of an SDG exclusively dedicated to quality education (SDG 4) [2] is the only link between the teaching-learning process and the United Nations sustainability proposal. This Special Issue intends to include manuscripts that collect scientific advances and experiences carried out within the framework of the SDGs and in the specific field of Health / Life Sciences.

The exceptional situation experienced in Higher Education as a consequence of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, and specifically in health science degrees with a high degree of competencies acquired through experiential learning, has been an opportunity to mainstream competences related to the construction of global citizenship. In this sense, the implementation of active teaching methodologies plays an essential role. Authors are invited to submit papers about their teaching experiences.

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish a compilation of studies focused on educational and research initiatives, as well as other initiatives launched by educational and political institutions, framed in the field of health. Therefore, this Special Issue will include works that take into account the competences related to the ethics of health professions, sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals, and that stimulate knowledge and action for social, economic and cultural development. Original articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses are welcome [3].

  1. General Assembly of United Nations Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015 Available online: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E (accessed on 7 November 2018).
  2. Sachs, J.D. From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals. Lancet 2012379, 2206–2211.
  3. Zamora-Polo, F.; Sánchez-Martín, J.; Corrales-Serrano, M.; Espejo-Antúnez, L. What Do University Students Know about Sustainable Development Goals? A Realistic Approach to the Reception of this UN Program Amongst the Youth Population. Sustainability 201911, 3533.

Prof. Dr. Espejo-Antúnez Luis
Prof. Dr. Sergio Hernández Sánchez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • education
  • sustainability education
  • primary education
  • secondary education
  • transversal competences
  • higher education
  • health sciences
  • health professions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

19 pages, 1296 KiB  
Article
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routines of Higher Education Institutions: A Global Perspective
by Walter Leal Filho, Amanda Lange Salvia, Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, Mark Mifsud, Hossein Azadi, Ayyoob Sharifi, Todd LeVasseur, Johannes M. Luetz, Luis Velazquez, Priyatma Singh, Rudi Pretorius, Noor Adelyna Mohammed Akib, Tamara Savelyeva, Luciana Brandli, Nandhivarman Muthu and Patrizia Lombardi
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14105; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114105 - 28 Oct 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4655
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disturbances in the work of hundreds of millions of people around the world. One of the groups affected is the academic staff at higher education institutions, whose original business model, i.e., presence teaching, suddenly changed to online [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disturbances in the work of hundreds of millions of people around the world. One of the groups affected is the academic staff at higher education institutions, whose original business model, i.e., presence teaching, suddenly changed to online learning. This has, in turn, exacerbated pre-existing problems such as shortage of time, busy schedules, and challenges to a work-life balance. Since academic staff plays a key role in respect of teaching and research, often acting as leaders in their fields, it is important to reflect on the influences of the lockdowns on their work routines. In order to address this research need, this paper reports on a study that examined the impacts of the lockdowns on the work of academic staff at universities. Using a bibliometric analysis and investigation of a set of case studies, the study sheds light on the difficulties encountered and the means deployed to address them. Our study did not identify a one-size-fits-all response to manage the manifold changes brought on HEIs by the COVID-19 pandemic. Selected arising priorities include creating a culture of educational resilience through a container of complementary measures. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 311 KiB  
Article
Positive Psychology Applied to Education in Practicing Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Personal Resources, Well-Being, and Teacher Training
by Diego García-Álvarez, María José Soler, Rubia Cobo-Rendón and Juan Hernández-Lalinde
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11728; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811728 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2929
Abstract
Teaching has often been linked to psychosocial problems, and is an occupation in which the implementation of strategies for the improvement, updating and promotion of the mental health of those involved is essential. Accordingly, this study assessed the effectiveness of a program aimed [...] Read more.
Teaching has often been linked to psychosocial problems, and is an occupation in which the implementation of strategies for the improvement, updating and promotion of the mental health of those involved is essential. Accordingly, this study assessed the effectiveness of a program aimed at improving psychological well-being, optimism, self-efficacy, and self-esteem as well as at reducing psychological distress in teachers. The study was quasi-experimental and comprised 24 teachers from technical, secondary, and elementary schools in Uruguay. The constructs were measured before and after the program, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and comprised 12 modules in a multicomponent intervention format. The results indicate a significantly low magnitude increase in well-being (F = 5.36, p = 0.033, Cohen’s d = 0.47) and a moderate increase in self-efficacy (F = 9.14, p = 0.008, Cohen’s d = 0.62). Similarly, a significant decrease was observed in psychological distress of mild effect (F = 5.80, p = 0.028, Cohen’s d = 0.49). To conclude, interventions based on positive psychology improve teachers’ well-being, enhance other psychological resources, and reduce psychosocial risks such as discomfort. Thus, these interventions can be devices for career development and teacher updating. Full article
13 pages, 555 KiB  
Article
Application of a Program to Improve Personal Development in Future Physical Education Teachers of the Degree in Education and Its Relationship with Wisdom
by Milagros Arteaga-Checa, María Victoria Palop-Montoro and David Manzano-Sánchez
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1188; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031188 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2638
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to apply an intervention program based on emotional education and self-knowledge in students of the degree in Education to verify changes in wisdom to improve their psychological health and emotional well-being. For this, Three-dimensional Wisdom Scale [...] Read more.
The objective of the present study was to apply an intervention program based on emotional education and self-knowledge in students of the degree in Education to verify changes in wisdom to improve their psychological health and emotional well-being. For this, Three-dimensional Wisdom Scale (3S-WS) was administered before and after the intervention, analyzing aspects related to affective, cognitive and reflective wisdom. The sample consisted of 100 students (40 men and 60 women, aged between 20 and 29 years). After the intervention program, students improved reflective wisdom without an identifiable difference between sexes. On the other hand, men had higher values in all variables than women. In conclusion, the program to improve personal development and self-awareness could be useful to improve wisdom (especially reflective wisdom) in third and fourth year students of the degree in Education specializing in Physical Education. At the same time, it is intended that these students understand the foundations of the intervention so that in the future it can be replicated in their classrooms and contribute to the sustainable development of the 2030 Agenda. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 363 KiB  
Article
Fostering University Students’ Engagement in Teamwork and Innovation Behaviors through Game-Based Learning (GBL)
by Pilar Martín-Hernández, Marta Gil-Lacruz, Ana I. Gil-Lacruz, Juan Luis Azkue-Beteta, Eva M. Lira and Luis Cantarero
Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13573; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413573 - 8 Dec 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4869
Abstract
Higher Education Instituions (HEIs) should be the driving force behind the training of college students in terms of both hard and soft skills (for example, innovation and teamwork competencies), and they should also do so without neglecting their health and well-being, perhaps more [...] Read more.
Higher Education Instituions (HEIs) should be the driving force behind the training of college students in terms of both hard and soft skills (for example, innovation and teamwork competencies), and they should also do so without neglecting their health and well-being, perhaps more than ever in these complex times of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Game-based learning (GBL) could be a powerful and useful tool in this regard. There is, however, some controversy surrounding the use of games for learning purposes in higher education institutions, and most of the research done about this issue corresponds to GBL through digital games. Under this background, the main objective of this study was to test the effect of GBL on the intrinsic motivation (IM), teamwork engagement (TWE), team building (TB), teamwork competence (TWC), and innovation behaviors (IWB) of 142 college students of Health Sciences and Social Work. After rehearsing in small groups, the game was tested (T2). Our results obtained through the differential analyses confirmed that undergraduates were more intrinsically motivated, experienced more TWE, TB, and TWC, and developed more IWB than before playing the game (T1). Therefore, the development of core personal skills might be promoted effectively by games in an efficient, engaging, and motivating way. Full article

Other

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 1920 KiB  
Systematic Review
Learning Analytics on Student Engagement to Enhance Students’ Learning Performance: A Systematic Review
by Nurul Atiqah Johar, Si Na Kew, Zaidatun Tasir and Elizabeth Koh
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7849; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107849 - 10 May 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 10074
Abstract
The study of learning analytics provides statistical analysis and extract insights from data, particularly in education. Various studies regarding student engagement in online learning have been conducted at tertiary institutions to verify its effects on students’ learning performance. However, there exists a knowledge [...] Read more.
The study of learning analytics provides statistical analysis and extract insights from data, particularly in education. Various studies regarding student engagement in online learning have been conducted at tertiary institutions to verify its effects on students’ learning performance. However, there exists a knowledge gap whereby the types of student-engagement issues derived from learning analytics have not been collectively studied thus far. In order to bridge the knowledge gap, this paper engages a new systematic literature review (SLR) that analysed 42 articles using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The existing research on student engagement in online learning does not extensively integrate the five types of online engagement proposed by Redmond et al., and the use of learning analytics on the subject matter is also limited. Thus, this review sheds light on the types of student engagement indicated by using learning analytics, hoping to enhance students’ learning performance in online learning. As revealed in the findings, some studies measured multifaceted engagement to enhance students’ learning performance, but they are limited in number. Thus, it is recommended that future research incorporate multifaceted engagement such as social, cognitive, collaborative, behavioural, and emotional engagement in online learning and utilise learning analytics to improve students’ learning performance. This review could serve as the basis for future research in online higher education. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop